Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been left in a state of “disarray” after Indian funding for the militant organisation had halted.
“We should be satisfied to know with regards to the TTP that for the first time the process of Indian funding [to them] — which had been going on for a long time — has ended and at this time they are in disarray,” he said, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad after the cabinet meeting.
Talking about TTP activities inside Pakistan, Chaudhry said Pakistan is not a weak state and can overcome the challenge posed by the group. “These internal challenges are not a problem for us. Our [belief] is that once they stop having a funding stream from abroad then it will be a big blow for them and the rest we will handle ourselves.”
The minister also noted that the Taliban’s announcement that Afghanistan’s soil will not be allowed to be used against any country was a very “positive” development.
“We think the Taliban authorities will act on this. [….] Pakistan’s top terrorists from the BLA (Balochistan Liberation Army) and TTP are sitting in Afghanistan and we want them,” Chaudhry added.
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On Monday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said that we expect that leadership that will evolve and assumes responsibility in the near future in Afghanistan would keep an eye on not just the TTP, but on all terrorist organizations.
He further added that our cross-border terror concerns are “genuine and our expectations are also natural.”
“We would not want to see Afghanistan become a safe haven for any terrorist outfit,” he said.
In a related development, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Monday that the Afghan Taliban have assured Islamabad that the proscribed TTP will not be allowed to use Afghanistan soil against Pakistan.
Last week, outgoing Foreign Office Spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri had said that the issue of the use of Afghan soil by the TTP for terrorist activities in Pakistan was raised with the previous Afghan government. “We will continue raising the issue with the future Afghan government as well to ensure that TTP is not provided any space in Afghanistan to operate against Pakistan,” added Chaudhri.
The TTP, believed to be hiding in bordering areas of Afghanistan, continue to attack Pakistani security forces. The outlawed militant group claimed responsibility for the recent attack in Tirah Valley of Khyber district in which two FC personnel lost their lives, besides releasing a video featuring training of its militants in an undisclosed hilly area while urging militant outfits to join their ranks.
Meanwhile, the information minister said the federal cabinet meeting had also discussed the situation in Afghanistan, including Pakistan’s “responsible role” in the formation of an Afghan government.
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“We have close contact with Turkey, China and other countries […] so, on one hand, we are continuing our contact with Afghan authorities and on the other, with foreign countries,” he said.
Providing updates on Pakistan’s evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, the minister said that over 3,400 people have been evacuated through different airplanes, [while] around 19,000 have come through the borders.
“Pakistan is one of the primary stakeholders in this whole process and we are trying to create this environment so that the people stranded in Kabul can be evacuated,” he said.
